Well-sinking apparatus.



B. 'L. PALMER.

WELL SINKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I2, I9I4.

1,226,989, Patented May 22, 1917.

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-B. L. PALMER. WELL SINKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12. 1914.

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APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12. 1914. 1,226,989. Patented May 22, 1917.

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- drawings.

UNI E STA ES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN L. PAL ER; or AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNQR TO THE AMERICAN .WELL WORKS, or AURORA, ILLINoIs a CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

' WELL-SINKING ArPAnATUs.

tus, of which the following is a specification,

referencebeing had to theaccompanying My invention paratus and particularly to that class of well-sinking apparatus employed for sinking blast holes 1n quarries, in which a drill 1s jumped rapidly up and down through the use of a cable actuated by. a walking beam. In this class of drilling, a quantity of water is poured into thehole being drilled and the drill is jumped'in the hole until enough rock I mounted arm or beam by which the walking 1s crushed up with the waterto make a stiff slush. When the contents of the hole reaches the desired consistency, the drill is hoisted out and a sand-pump is lowered into the hole by the use of a separate cable for clearing out the hole-in the well-known manner. to provide new and improved means for throwing the walkingbeam quickly out of operation to permit the drill to be raised for the insertion of the sand-pump. It is another object of my invention to so construct and arrange the parts that the walking beam can be quickly and easily thrown into operation again without a shock or jar to any part of the mechanism, this being accom plished without checking the speed of the engine, securing by the use of positively-acting means advantages such as are attained by the use of a friction clutch. It is another object of my invention to provide a construction in which the walking beam carrying the sheave which actuates the cable of the drill can be stopped and started as desired without stopping the rotation of the crank by which said Walking beam is drivenfilt is another ob ect of my inventionto provide a simple cheap means for operating the walking beam of a machine of this type without the use of complicated mechanism requiring constant attention or subject to rapid wear. It isanother object of my invention to improve devices of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by which I have accomplished these objects is illustrated the d awing and "broken away; I

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing-the walking beam released from the crank and held in its lowermost position;

relates -towell-sinking ap-' It is one of the objects of my invention Specification of Letters ia'tent. Patented llay 22, 1917, Application filed-June 12, 1914. Serial Nasaaaai.

ishereinafter specifically described. That which I believe to be new is set forth in the I claims.

apparatus embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing the construction and mounting of the walking beam, the near side of the main frame being F ig. 4 is a. plan view taken just above the walking beam, with the said beam in its intermediate horizontal position;

F g.5 is aplan view of the walking beam; Fig. 6 1s a plan view of the pivotallybeam is actuated;

.1iiie7-7 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the several figures of the i drawings, in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters,10 indicates a' frame having mounted thereon supporting wheels 11 and having rising therefrom a derrick 12. Pivotally :mounted on the frame 10 is arwalking beam '13 adapted to be actuated as hereinafter described by means of a crank 14 rotatable with a he'avy fly-wheel 15 revolubly mounted'o'n the frame. The fly-wheel 15 is driven in the construction shown by means of a belt 16 runningover the drive-wheel 17 of a motor 18 of any suitable type. A shaft19 is adapted to be driven by "said motorwhen desired for rotating a "drum 20, suitable clutch devices being provided, as is well understood in the art, for connecting the drum' to the motor and for disconnecting it therefrom, and suitable braking devices of any appropriate type being provided for controlling the rotation of the drum. when it is running free of the motor. A worm-gear a 21 is mounted on said shaft 19 meshing with a worm 22 on the rear end of a shaft 23 having a hand-wheel 24 mounted on its forward end. The shaft 23 is slidably mounted in its bearings whereby when power is applied to the drum 20 to rotate it in counter clockwise direction inFig. ,1 the worm 22 willbe automatically thrown out of engagev met-1t ith the worm-gear 2. he wa struction is such that when power is not applied to the drum 20 as just suggested the drum 20 can be easily rotated through the medium of the shaft 23. Connected with the drum 20 and adapted to be wound thereon by the proper rotation of the drum is a cable 25, running from the drum 20 over a sheave 26, from there under and partially around the sheave 27 carried by the walking beam 13, from there over a sheave 28 located at the upper end of the derrick 12, from which point the cable leads downward to its connection with a drill-bar 29 having mounted upon its lower end a suitable drill of any appropriate type.

In the operation of the machine, when the crank 14 is rotated by the motor 18 the walking beam 13 is alternately raised and lowered upon its pivot-pin, the downward movement of the walking beam serving to pull downward that portion of the cable which extends upward from the sheave 27, serving to correspondingly raise the drillbar 29. The rotation of the fly-wheel 15 is designed to be rapid enough to return the walking beam to its uppermost position at approximately the rate of speed at which the drill-bar 29 and the drill mounted thereon will drop, the drill being thus permitted to drop freely into contact with the bottom of the hole being drilled. The impact of the drill with the bottom of the hole serves ordinarily to give the drill a slight rotation at each actuation of the drill, serving to keep the hole substantially round as drilling progresses, the cable being played out from the drum 20 for the advance of the drill through the medium of the handwheel 24, as is readily understood. The sand-pump by the use of which the slush is cleared from the hole as hereinbefore described is indicated by the numeral 30, being adapted to be operated by the cable 31 running over a sheave 32 located near the upper end of the derrick, the cable 31 being preferably actuated for the manipulation of the sand-pump 30 by power from the motor 18 by the use of any suitable expedients well known in the art. Inasmuch as the parts so far enumerated form no part of themselves of my present invention it is believed to be unnecessary to further de: scribe their operation herein.

Coming now to a particular description of the walking beam 13 and to the means for swinging it up and down through the medium of the crank 14 to attain the objects hereinbefore set forth, it will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 4 that the walking beam 13 comprises two bars spaced apart and pivotally mounted on the frame 10 by means of a transversely-extending rod 33. Pivotally mounted at its rear end between the said two bars of the walking beam 13 upon a transversely-extending pin 34 is a longitudinallyextending beam 35 provided with a slide-box 36 near its forward end in which the crank-pin 37 is adapted to work as it is carried around by the crank 1 1, said crank-pin 37 being preferably provided a with a roller 33 having a working fit in the slide-box. As is best shown in Fig. 6, the beam 35 is cut out at its forward end to pro vide two arms 39, which, in the construc tion shown, overlie the bars of the walking beam 13 and provide room for the passage of the cable 25.

For connecting the beam 35 with the walking beam I have provided a latch-lever 10 pivotally mounted by means of a pin 4-1 between the bars of the walking beam, said lever l0 being provided with a trai'isverselyextending head 42 adapted to be swung longitudinally of the machine to engage the upper face of the arms 39, as shown in Fig. For holding the latch-lever 10 normally in operative position I have provided a spring 13 of any suitable type mounted upon the guide 13" for the beam 35 and bearing upon the lower end of the lever 10 tending to turn said lever in coiuiter-clockwise direction in Figs. 2 and As will be readily understood, with the latch-lever 40 in operative position as shown in Fig. 2, upon the retation of the fly-wheel 15 the beam 35 will be oscillated up and down carrying with it the walking beam 13 and the sheave 27.

For disconnecting the beam 35 from the walking beam 13 l have provided a handlever 1a pi-votally mounted between the side bars of the frame 10 by means of a pin 45. 1V hen the walking beam 13 has reached its lowermost position and is being held stationary momentarily preliminary to its upward movement, the handle of the lever 5L4; may be moved forward, bringing the lower end of the lever 14 into contact with the latch-lever 10 below the pivot-pin 11 thereof, serving to swing the latch-lever against the action of the spring 43, freeing the head 42 from engagement with the arms 39. By the same movement of the lever as arms 46 in the form of rollers extending laterally from the sides of the lever 44 are brought into engagement with the upper faces of the bars of the walking beam 13, serving to hold the walking beam in lowered position as the beam 35 is thrown out of operative engagement therewith, the beam 35 turning for this operation upon the pivot-pin 3 1. lVith the walking beam locked in its lowermost position as illustrated in Fig. 3, the drill can be quickly raised through the medium of the cable 25 out of the hole being drilled and the sand-pump as quickly lowered for use. When it is desired to again connect the walking beam with the beam 35 for .operat ing the drill, the handle of the lever 44 is pushed to, the rear, freeing the rollers 16 from the bars of the walking beam, and permitting the spring 43 to turn the latch-lever 40 to carry its head 42 rearwardly into engagement with the arms 39, the actuation of the lever 44 by the operator being timed to accomplish this result. a In case the lever 44 should be moved'to release the rollers 46 a from the walking beam 13 before the beam had reached its lowermost position in its reciprocation up and down by the crank 14, the latch-lever 'would be turned in counterclockwise direction in Figs; 2 and 3 by the spring 43. l Vhe-n thereafter the arms 39 were brought into engagement with the head 42 in the upwardmovement of the walking beam actuated by the weight of the drill,

the latch-lever 40 would automatically engage the arms 39, the upper face of the head 42 being beveled for the accomplishment of this purpose. If such operative engagement of the arms 39 by the head 42 were not brought about immediately upon the contacting of the parts,'such operative engagement would be attained when the walking beam reached its lowermost position again in contact with the yoke 47 depending from the frame 10. i

7 By the use of my improved devices, I am enabled to operate the walking beam positively without the use of a friction clutch. At the same time, I am enabled to stop the operation of the walking beam and to start it'again in operatlon without any shock or jar to the machinery, this being accomplished without slowing down the driving motor and thus very materially cutting down the amount of time necessary for the stopping and starting operations.

In case the lever 44 should be moved to bring the rollers 46 into engagement with the walking beam 13 but not far enough to throw the latch-lever 40 entirely out of engagement with the arms 39, the rollers would roll off the ends of'the bars of the walking beam. The engagement of the rollers 46 with the bars of the walking beam, however, when the lever 44 has been moved far enough to throw the latch 40 entirely out of engagement with the arms 39, is always sufficiently past center relative to'the line of upward thrust of the beam 13 to sustain the weight of the drill-bar and the drill without danger of disengagement therefrom except upon the movement of the lever 44.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is,

1. The combination of a walking beam, a

second beam pivotally connected'with said walking beam, a crank adapted by its rotation to oscillate said second beam, a latch adapted to be actuated without checking the rotation of the crank for connecting said two beams to oscillate together and for disconnecting them from each other, and swinging means adapted to be moved into a pastcenter locking engagement with said walk-- ing beam for holding it against movement when it is disconnected from said second beam.

' 2. The combination of a walking beam, a second beam pivotally connected with said walking beam, a crank adapted by 1ts rotation to oscillate said secondbeam, a latch adapted to be actuated without checking the rotation of the crank for connecting said two beams to oscillate together and for disconnecting'them from each other, means for moving said latch out of operative latching position, and means serving automatically to maintain said latch-moving means in operative positionfor holding the latch out of operative position. I v

3. The combination of a walkingbeam, a

second beam pivotally connected with said walking beam, a crank adapted by itsrota- I tion to oscillate said second beam, a latch adapted to be actuated without checking the rotation of the crank for connecting said two beams to oscillate together and for disconnecting them from each other, a lever by an operative stroke of which said latch is and means serving automatically to hold said lever in latch-engaging position.

4. The combination. of awalking beam, a second beam pivotally connected with said walking beam, a crankadapted by its rotation to oscillate said second beam, a latch adapted to be actuated without checking the rotation of the crank for connecting said two beams to oscillate together and for disconnecting them from each other, a lever by an operative stroke of which said latch is moved out of operative latching position, and means carried by said lever adapted upon an operative stroke thereof to engage said walkingbeam for holding it against movement, said lever being yieldingly held by its engagement with said walking beam against withdrawal from its operative latchengaging position. 4

5. The combination of a walking beam, a second beam pivotally connected with said walking beam, a 'crankadapted by its rotation to oscillate said second beam, a latch pivotally mounted on one of said beams adapted to engage the other beam for connecting said beams to oscillate together, a lever pivotally mounted adjacent to the path of movement of said walking beam, said leverbeing adapted to be given an operative 90' moved out of operative latching position,

pivotally mounted on one of said beams adapted to engage the other beam for connecting said beams to oscillate together, a lever pivotally mounted adjacent to the path of movement of said Walking beam, said lever being adapted to be given an operative stroke to throw said latch out of operative engagement to disconnect said two beams, and rollers revolubly mounted upon said lever adapted upon said operative stroke of 1-9 the lever to be brought into engagement with the Walking beam to hold it against movement.

BENJAMIN L. PALMER.

\Vitnesses:

MATTHEW T. CHAPMAN, R. B. THOMAS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Wnshington, D. 0. 

